


Not The Face Expected

by LonelyInTheSky



Series: Twelve Out of Ten [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Wolf Rose Tyler, Canon Rewrite, Episode: s01e14 The Christmas Invasion, F/F, F/M, Fluff, I'm Bad At Tagging, Idk you can think that up, Is Ten Twelve later, Post-Episode: s01e14 The Christmas Invasion, Rose Tyler Loves the Doctor, Tenth Doctor Era, The Doctor Loves Rose Tyler, With Twelve as Ten
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:29:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23470975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonelyInTheSky/pseuds/LonelyInTheSky
Summary: The Doctor was dying from taking in the vortex, and his last wish for this regeneration was to have Rose stay with him, and okay, maybe he wanted to look young and pretty for Rose. The universe didn't it make it easy, and his first wish was thrown out. His face was lined, his hair going grey, and he was a grumpy cross Scot. Well, the cross came with being Scottish, but that didn't matter to him at that moment. Rose. Rose was terrified, and that scared him. She was going to leave him, he just knew it. One wish was granted, surprising him greatly. Later he finds, maybe, just maybe he didn't need to be young and pretty for Rose.
Relationships: The Doctor/Rose Tyler, Twelfth Doctor & The Doctor's TARDIS, Twelfth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: Twelve Out of Ten [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1688494
Comments: 10
Kudos: 43





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Twelve might be a bit OOC for a good bit. Since he's with Rose, and hasn't dealt with as much, he isn't going to be quite as grumpy as he usually is (not going to lie, I'm sad I can't make him that grumpy. But he won't let me make him that grump with his Rose with him.). Also while it will be mostly the 2nd series episodes, I'm hoping to shove some 8th/9th/10th/ series episodes. Lastly I have no beta and this is the first time I have posted on AO3 so it's going to be a bit rough around the edges.

_"And you know what...So was I."_

That was the last thing he said to her before everything went upside down in her already unusual world.

The bright golden light that shone from the Doctor slowly faded to show a face that rivaled the age of her last Doctor, with his salt and pepper hair, lined face, and some quite angry looking eyebrows.

"Hello. Okay." He mutters before making a face. "Kidneys! I've got new kidneys. I don't like the colour."

Rose stares at him in confusion and horror. "W-Where's the Doctor." She moves from behind the coral pillar. He tilts his head to the side giving her a look over with a bewildered expression.

"Rose, It's me. I am the Doctor." He said, noticing the Scottish tone to his voice.

"No... Where is he? Where's the Doctor? What have you done to him?" She asked shaking her head. She could feel the tears behind her eyes which made her feel weak but at the moment she just saw her closest friend and someone she well, loved just disappear right in front of her eyes with this person just standing in his place saying he's the Doctor.

"Right In front of you, you saw me change. It's me." He walked closer to her with hands in front of him with a pleading look. She pushed him back with very little force but it still hurt him emotionally. She would most likely leave him, it hurt and he hated how much she could influence him this way. "I was dying. To save my own life I changed my body. Every single cell, but... it's still me." He pleaded.

"You can't be." She cried.

"Okay, if I was not the Doctor how could I remember the first word I said to you. Trapped in the basement of Henrik's. Surrounded by shop window dummies." He took her hand and that's when he finally saw a hint of what he looked like. His hearts dropped when he saw the wrinkles on his hands. He was suppose to be young for her, not older again. But he kept going and looked up into her cautious eyes. "One word. Just one...'Run'"

Tears fell from her eyes and his hearts clenched but the cautiousness left her eyes. "Doctor."

"And we never stopped, did we? All across the universe. Running, running, running..." He turned around, walking over to to the console. "One time we had to hop. Do you remember? Hopping for our lives." He smiled, but it felt unusual on this face. It took him a few seconds to notice Rose not responding, so he turned around and saw her gaze shot downward.

"Can you change back?" She murmured.

He could feel the lump in his throat but managed to speak past it. "Do you want me to?" He grumbled.

"Y-Yeah."

"Well, I can't." He turned back around trying to hide the pain in his eyes. "Do you want to leave?" He asked.

"Do you want me to leave?" She felt her heart racing.

"Your choice...If you want to leave." He tried to act nonchalant but the fear was choking him. He put the coordinates for the Powell Estate in. "There. Christmas eve, Powell Estate." He chokes out, tucking his arms across his chest like he used to do in his last body.

"I'm going home?" She asked in fear.

"Up to you. Back to your mum. Beans on toast... Wait, no, It's Christmas. Turkey and all that food. Although, knowing your mother, nut loaf would be more appropriate." The Doctor made a face before noticing the slight smile that appeared on her face. "Was that a smile?" He smirked.

"No." She said under her breath.

"No, I'm sure I saw a smile." He crossed his arms across his chest in a now teasing manner.

"It wasn't-I didn't." Rose looked away her cheeks red, and her arms now crossing over her chest.

The Doctor uncrossed his arms and sighed. "Rose, It's still me. All I did was change. I didn't-" He bent forward in pain.

"Are you alright?" Frightened, Rose tried to help him but the TARDIS lurched around, causing her to become unstable and fall into a pillar. "What's going on!" She shouted over the turmoil.

He groaned in pain as he grabbed the console, breathing out golden mist. "Right. We're probably crashing. Oh." He looked up into Rose's eyes.

"Where. Into something?" She asked, trying to calm the fear.

"Stay calm." He waved a hand around. "Just one question. Do you happen to know how to fly this thing?" The Doctor asked, making Rose stare at him incredulously .

The Doctor pulled a random lever causing them to lurch forward again. He walked towards the door, pulling it open to two stunned faces. Jackie and Mickey stood outside the TARDIS where the Doctor walked towards them with a shocked look on his face.

He pointed at Jackie first then Mickey. "Grumpy. Dopey. Wait, no, no, no, no. I remember something. Something Important. What is it." The two stared at him in confusion, then jumping slightly when he spoke again. "Aha! Merry Christmas." He exclaimed, before keeling over and passing out.

"What happened? Is he all right?" Rose asked.

Mickey looked up."I don't know, he just keeled over. But who is he? Where's the Doctor?"

"That's him, right in front of you. That's the Doctor." She bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears. Jackie's gaze went from Rose to the Doctor then back.

"What do you mean, that's the Doctor? Doctor who?" She shrieked.


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Christmas Invasion

Rose and Mickey left the house to go shopping for some Christmas presents - more for some breath of fresh air after everything. Most of the things they talked about was the most basic of things while they walked to the little shops people had on the tiny backstreets.

"God, I'm all out of synch. You just forget about Christmas and things in the TARDIS. They don't exist. You get sort of timeless." She said.

"Oh, yeah, that's fascinating, because I love hearing stories about the TARDIS. Oh, go on Rose, tell us another one because I swear I could listen to it all day. TARDIS this, TARDIS that ! Let's hear more shall we." Mickey mocked.

Rolling her eyes, Rose sighed. "Mickey."

"Oh, and one time the TARDIS landed in a big yellow garden full of balloons." He said sarcastically.

"It's not-I'm not like that! Shut up." She huffed.

"Uh huh, you so are." Mickey smirked, giving her a pat on the back.

"Must drive you mad. I'm surprised you don't give up on me." She said, giving a little chuckle.

Mickey looked on ahead and said. "Oh, that's the thing, isn't it? You can rely on me. I don't go changing my face. Are you still going to travel with him anyway?"

Rose sighed. "Why are you asking."

"I mean as I said before he's just up and changed his face, but he's older now. I know you liked him before. What do you think about him now. He looks like he could be your grandfather." He groused about the Doctor.

"I-I..." She loved Mickey, however at this moment she was already in shock over everything she couldn't help but defend the Doctor. "Really Mickey? I don't know how I feel about this," She waved her hand around trying to explain what she couldn't. "but I'm not going to make fun of the way he looks." Rose stares hard at the ground. She didn't know how she felt about any of this, It was hard to know how she felt about it because she did love him back then. "I don't know Mickey, just-just...It's Christmas let's just not..." She finished feeling deflated.

"Yeah, yeah okay. It's Christmas." He murmured, before speaking again, trying to find a different topic. "I'm round there all the time now, you know. Jackie does my dinner on a Sunday, talks about you all afternoon, yap yap yap."

They glanced over random stalls until Rose noticed a band with Santa masks staring them down, when one lowered their trombone down and flames burst out causing shoppers to start screaming and running in panic. Rose and Mickey run behind a stall to hide before she noticed they were going after them.

"They're after us!" She yelped

Before she could do anything else another masked Santa shot a blast from a tuba sending a large Christmas tree to the ground. She grasped at Mickey's hand and made a run for it.

"What's going on? Why are they after us? Who are they?" He asked.

Rose didn't respond and shouted for a taxi, when one stopped for them she hauled Mickey into the car. "They're after the Doctor." She huffed out.

Mickey rolled his eyes and groaned. "I can't even go shopping with you. We get attacked by a brass band." As he responded Rose took her phone out and started phoning her mum. "Who're you phoning?

She mumbled about calling her mother before cursing as it went to voicemail.

"Who were those Santa things?" Mickey asked again.

"I don't know. But think about it. They were after us. What's important about us? Well, nothing, except the one thing we've got tucked up in bed. The Doctor." She grumbled.

The taxi stopped, they thanked and handed over some money before hopping out and running up to Jackie's flat. Throwing open the door Jackie was on the phone and Rose sighed before walking over to her. The two bickered back and forth before Rose noticed the Christmas tree.

"Where did you get that tree from, mum?" Rose asked.

"Well I thought it was you. You went shopping. There was a ring at the door, and there it was!" Jackie said back.

Rose shook her head. "No, wasn't me. I didn't buy it."

"Who was it then?" Jackie gripped.

The tree starts letting out this ear-numbing version of Jingle Bells, while different sections of the tree started spinning in different directions as well as moving towards them with large gusts of wind. Mickey starting screaming to get out but Rose's next thought was the Doctor.

"We've got to save the Doctor! We can't just leave him!" Rose shouted over the chaos as Mickey tried to hold up a chair to stop the tree which unsurprisingly didn't work at the same time Jackie yelled at him just to leave it and run.

Rose ran into the room the Doctor slept in as Jackie now yelled at her just to leave him. Rose ran over to his side as Jackie and Mickey started bordering up the door.

"Doctor, wake up!" Rose shouted to him, but to no avail. She started feeling like nothing would work before grabbing the sonic screwdriver and placing it in his hand. Jackie cried out in fear, but Rose again paid no mind as she whispered into his ear. "Help me."

He shot up at pointed the sonic at the tree as it just cut through the door and causing it to explode.

"Hmph, remote control. Who's controlling it." He muttered before jumping up.

Walking outside they saw the three Santa's. The Doctor stared at them with a shuttered look, no emotion showed on his face as he raised the sonic at them. The masked aggressors backed off and quickly beamed off.

Mickey had said something about them being rubbish as the Doctor muttered. "Pilot fish."

"What?" Rose asked.

"They're pilot fish which means-" He groaned in pain as he suddenly leans heavily on the rickety railing.

Rose is quickly by his side. "What's wrong?" She asks worriedly.

"Woke me up to soon. I'm still healing. Regeneration energy still going through me. " He gasps in pain and falls to the ground as the trio all hover over him when he coughs out a golden cloud "They can smell the energy which they could use for themselves for a sort of fuel but they need to get to me first." He cries out in pain again before speaking again. "I'm having neuron implosion, I- I need- need-" Before he can get it out he is interrupted by Jackie's tirade of question of what before he shouts. "Bloody hell, shut up woman!" He shouts.

"Oi! You haven't changed that much have you!" She hisses.

"Doctor, what do you need?" Rose instead asks.

"If the pilot fish are here there is something bigger coming." He takes a breath knowing of one thing that might help. "Tea. Tea might help." He bites out before passing out again.

Rose sighs, she looks up at her mother then Mickey. "Right, mum if you could make some tea, and Mickey can you help me bring him back to the bed."

-/////

Rose sits on top the covers using a flannel on the Doctor's forehead as he whimpers in pain. Her heart clenches seeing him (Even if she is still having trouble with this weird regeneration concept) pain. She has seen the Doctor at his lowest before she can remember vividly after the dalek fiasco.

_Rose couldn't sleep it was a long and well, eventful day, a dark eventful day. She decided to walk the halls of the TARDIS maybe she might land in the kitchen or the console room where possibly the Doctor was, but she was fairly certain she hadn't been through this hallway before._

_It was when she heard crying and shouting. She was_ _frighted_ _and ran toward the source finding it to be a large red and gold coloured door. The Doctor sounded in pain so without thought she threw the door open to see the silhouette of his body writhing in pain, the cause is a horrible, gruesome and bloodied nightmare._

_In a few steps she walks to him trying to wake him._

_"Doctor. Doctor? Doctor!"_

_His eyes are blown open and tears are streaming down his face as he gazes at Rose. He tries to hold back the pained sobs but it's no use. Rose climbs onto the bed not caring for any other factor besides wanting to soothe the Doctor._

_"_ _Shh_ _. It'll be find. I'm here, I've got you" She hums softly in his shoulder as more tears fall from his face. He slowly starts to become quiet, all that was heard throughout was the miserable soft pained whimpers coming from the Doctor before he spoke._

_"They're all dead, Rose." He tonelessly says, "I can still hear their screams. The blood. All the bodies. I killed all of them. I murdered all them." He holds onto her tighter. "Why- Why do you care for me. You should be running now. I'm a murderer, Rose. How do you see me as anything but that?"_

_"Because you aren't a murderer, Doctor." She mumbles trying to hold back her own tears._

_"How. How can you say that?"_

_She choked back a sob as the pain in his voice was clear. "Because if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have been able to live this life. The whole universe would have been sacrificed, but you saved us by sacrificing something you hold dear. Your own planet." She exhaled slowly before carefully untangling herself to look him in the eye. "Doctor, You are an amazing man. Alien, whatever. And- and I care for you, and whatever you see yourself as you're wrong. If it wasn't for you I don't know where I would be now. Thank you and thank you for being you." She knew it sounded mushy but at the moment neither cared._

_"Rose, I don't deserve you." He stared at her in awe._

_She just smiled at him and shook her head. That night she slept there with him (in a friendly kind of awkward kids at a sleepover way. Neither would show they're feelings. That would be absurd.) in his bed to help keep the nightmares at bay for each other._

"Rose?" She heard he mother speak, breaking her from her flashback. Jackie stood with two cups of tea. She walk over and sat one on the nightstand before handing Rose one.

"Ta." Rose said before humming softly at the just right taste of her tea.

"So, how do we give it to himself." She tsk-ed. "I mean he isn't really awake."

"I don't really know, but I'll figure it out." Rose sighed as she took another sip of her tea before grabbing his. She didn't know he meant it so she just did what she could. As her mother left the room, Rose headed for the bathroom for a new flannel. She went back in and dipped a good bit into the tea and lifted his head. She carefully with her thumb pushed down his lip and dabbed the tea soaked rag over his lips. When that didn't seem to do much, she squeezed the rag just enough for some droplets of tea into his mouth. She continued to do this, slowly before the tea was empty.

She looked down at his still unconscious form, and waited for something to happen. She let out a heavy exhale before she stood up. In a sudden motion she struck her tea and the still somehow steaming cup of tea (did Jackie bring her another cup of tea without her noticing?) all over the sheet. She cursed fluently out loud as she grabbed the sheet he was laying under and didn't noticed how much tea had been left. She quickly grabbed the sheet, thinking it had shielded most of the boiling tea and went out to her mum.

The Doctor took a long inhale, and slowly his eyes blearily opened. He could feel the free radicals and tannin's healing his synapses. It took him a moment to figure out that he was covered in tea. "Well, not how I was expecting the tea, but it worked." He muttered.

He started feeling uncomfortable in the dressing gown covered in tea, so he got up and searched the closet for anything. It took him awhile to find something that was what he liked and more importantly what fit, when he came upon a Beatles tee shirt, some dark trousers, and a hoodie. The shoes were much harder to find, but he finally came upon some. It didn't feel complete yet but it would do.

He went into the hallway, listening to the conversation that were being held in the back of the flat. Walking into the lounge, he noticed Rose leaning over Mickey at a computer screen as Jackie stared intently at the telly.

It wasn't till he heard his name he finally focused. "I don't know. Must be the Doctor. Like he's part of the circuit, and he's, he's broken."

"Rude." He grumbled.

The three turned in quick movements to see the Doctor leaning against the hallway entrance with a affronted expression on his face, and she startled to see him in different clothes.

"Doctor! It worked!" She grinned in relief. 

He sniffed. "Yeah, I mean when you're drenched in boiling tea. It kind of has an affect." Rose look sheepish, a mumbled an apology. The Doctor grinned. "It's alright. Now what are we dealing with here." He pushed off the wall and walked over to Mickey.

Mickey showed him the screen that appeared with the weird looking aliens. "I think these are the aliens we are looking for." 

The Doctor took a look out them, and groaned. "Sycorax." 

"And they are?" Jackie piped up.

"Scavengers. They aren't that dangerous but they are annoying pests want any resources they can get their hands on." He scoffed, bending back up. "Well, they're broadcasting to someone who would that be."

"U.N.I.T" Mickey said.

The Doctor smiled.

-/////

Harriet Jones looked over at Blake and asked. "I don't suppose we've had a Code Nine? No sign of the Doctor?" 

Blake was about to respond when a wheezing sound echoed around the large room, causing everyone to look around until a large, blue box appeared. The doors opened, walking out first was the Doctor, Rose, and Mickey. Jackie had decided to stay behind.

"Rose!" Harriet greeted Rose warmly then Mickey before stopping at asking. "Where's the Doctor?" 

The grey haired man stepped forward, and softly smiled, "Hello, Harriet." 

Jones looked back at Rose and asked. "I apologize. but who is this?"

"He's the Doctor." Rose responded to the question, and the Doctor nodded.

"But what happened to my Doctor? Or is it a title that's just passed on?" 

"No, I'm him. Same man, just different face." Harriet still looked uncertain, so the Doctor sighed and said. "Harriet Jones, we were trapped in Downing Street and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens, it wasn't the war, it was the thought of your mother being on her own."

"Oh, my god." She gaped.

"I see you won the election." He asked.

She smiled softly before responding. "Landslide majority."

A random solider came up to Harriet, notifying her on something, before walking off. "What was that about?" Rose asked, curious. 

Harriet looked up towards them, stricken. "They are going to be here in about an hour, I've just been informed." 

The Doctor grinned. "Great. Can't wait to meet the neighbors." The group moved over to the large screen that would broadcast the aliens. As if speaking of their presence, the large screen bleeped on showing the group of Sycorax looking like they just hopped into the Bohemian Rhapsody music video, causing the Doctor to stifle a laugh.

Before much more happens the Sycorax in the front holds out his hand and a ring of blue surrounds his hand. The blonde woman Rose had seen before had it now surrounding her head, and a couple of more had as well. The started getting up and wondering out of the office causing panic and fear to occur among the others in their right minds besides the Doctor who just stared directly at the screen in barely held in anger.

"Surrender or they will die." The leader responded, causing everyone to look up. Harriet asked how they could hear it speak English now, and Rose responded by saying something about the TARDIS translator.

"Wait a minute. There is a pattern. All these people tend to be father and son, mother and daughter, brothers and sisters. Family groups, but not husbands and wives." The Doctor was immediately over by the computers when Alex responded. 

"Oh, my God. It's Guinevere One. Have you got medical records on file for all your staff?" Llewellyn panicked. Llewellyn went to one computer searching it up all the staff, finding all to be A Positive.

The Doctor whispered something before, laughing loudly causing people to stare at him in indigence. "Blood control! Noting but a simple scare trick. No harm done to the people in their control." He pronounced, leading some people sigh, and Rose to smile softly in his direction. 

But before they could cheer Llewellyn shouted about the spaceship hitting the atmosphere then saying."They're transmitting. Onscreen." 

"Will the leader of this world stand forward." The rough gravelly voice of the alien asked. 

Most of the people in the space first response was to stare directly at the Doctor. He rolled his eyes and stepped forward. "I'm proud to represent this planet." He responded as he walked towards the large screen.

"Come aboard." He hissed.

Lights shimmered around them bringing the group up to the ship of Sycorax. The Doctor looked up at the alien as he took off the mask, he could hear the conversation behind him but focused on the leader in front of him.

"You will surrender, or I will release the final curse and your people will jump." The alien leader growled. 

"Yes, I 'should' listen to you for the sake of humanity." The Doctor sighed slowly walking closer to the button he could barely see, before turning at the sight of Llewellyn walking closer to the Sycorax.

"If I can speak." He asked.

"It wouldn't be helpful." The Doctor hissed.

"No, I sent out the probe. I started it. I made contact with these people. This whole thing's my responsibility. With respect sir. The human race is taking it's first step towards the stars, but we are like children compared to you. Children who need help. Children who need compassion. I beg of you now, show that compassion." He said with passion, causing the Doctor to roll his eye and huff. That wasn't going to help.

And with all he said the alien leader unleashed his whip and cracks it around the mans neck turning him into dust. The group gasped out in horror, while the Doctor raced forward, causing the leader to lash out again. Rose cried out in fear, but The Doctor caught the whip and threw it with a huff. "Little rude are we." He griped as the Sycorax brought out a club, which the Doctor grabbed mid swing, snapping it over his knee. "Can't stop for a moment, can you?" He huffed.

"Who exactly are you?" The alien asked.

"Well, that's a question isn't it?" The Doctor stuffed his hands in the pocket of the hoodie he was wearing.

"I demand to know who you are!" The Sycorax howled.

The Doctor stared straight in his eyes. "I don't need to give you my bloody fucking answer, you fucking alien twat!" The Doctor yelled in his face causing a little gasp to sound behind him. That was a little much wasn't it. "I'm the Doctor, just accept it." He said, walking closer to the button. "Blood control. Very nice by the way. Would be a shame if something happened. Also nice big, red button. Don't see these much around anymore." He sighed dejectedly before he leaned on the button, causing the alien to roar. The group were still panicked even if he told them about blood control before, so the Doctor turned to the leader. 

"What do you think? Did I kill them?" The Doctor stared the alien right in the eye. 

"We allow them to live." He muttered angrily. 

The Doctor chuckled humorously. "It's blood control, there is no allowing, it's barely that powerful for the survival instinct." 

The alien sneered. "Blood control was just one form of conquest. I can summon the armada and take this world by force."

"Yeah, no, yeah you could," The Doctor said. "but, here's the thing. I'm here, and you're not getting past me. I've protected this planet for many centuries, it isn't stopping now." He growled.

"Or what?" The Sycorax leader spat.

The Doctor smiled wickedly, before taking a sword from a solider. "I haven't done this in years," He mumbled. "Sword duel. Me, you and whoever wins gets what they want." The Doctor said inspecting the sword in question.

"You stand as this world's champion." The leader asked.

He grinned. "Yes, and I always will." With that he unzipped his hoodie, showing off the tee shirt underneath. "Saving the world in a Beatles tee shirt. Not the most out there look I've had. I had a Beatles haircut before." He made a face before throwing the hoodie at Rose. Mickey mumbled about looking like a rock star in mid-life crisis, which in turn gave him a deadly glare in his direction, by Rose and The Doctor.

The Doctor looked back at the leader and smirked. "So, you accept my challenge? Or are you just a cranak pel casacree salvak?" He provoked, causing the Sycorax to hiss loudly in fury, and grabbing a sword of his own.

"For the planet." The alien snarled, brandishing his weapon.

Holding up his sword, the Doctor stared straight in the eyes of the alien. "For the planet."

The Sycorax raced forward clashing his sword against the Doctor's. "Look out!" Rose warned.

"That's bloody helpful, I didn't think otherwise. Thanks." He tartly before clashing his sword against the leaders again, before being backed into a tunnel leading to the outside. The Doctor slams his hand on the button causing the door to screech open. 

The others race outside watching as the Doctor barely gets the leader in the arm. In quick motions the Sycorax slices the Doctor in the side causing him to howl in pain. The Doctor fell to the ground, holding his side as it bled out. 

Rose shrieked in horror, then tried to run forward. "Stay back!" He bit on his tongue as the pain cried out in him. "He wins the planet if you invalidate it in any way." 

The Sycorax raised his sword up about to swipe back down to finish him, while the humans watched in absolute fear, Rose had tears building behind her eyes by now. As the alien went to swipe down, the Doctor kicked him in the shin, causing him to become unbalanced and trip backwards. 

"I'm lucky, that's the man I am, because I within fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle, which means I have enough residual cellular energy to do this." He grinned, hopping up in a way that belied the wound he had. He looked down at the blood stain on the shirt, lifting up the part of the shirt that hid the once deep wound to show clean, unmaimed skin. Rose inhaled sharply, which caused Mickey to look her way, and raise an eyebrow with a smirk. She looked away, her face becoming beet red.

"Witchcraft." The Sycorax accused.

"Time Lord." He corrected.

Rose noticed how far the sword landed, which in quick thought as she noticed the leader raising his sword again, she grabbed a sword from another Sycorax, "Doctor!" She shouted, throwing the sword his way, which he caught perfectly. 

"Oh, you still think of me as the Doctor then?" The Doctor asked while he blocked the incoming strike, pushing the sword down, gritting his teeth.

"No arguments from me!" She hollered back, beaming. The Doctor smiled slightly but kept his eyes on the alien in front of him.

The Sycorax pushed him back off his balance, but the Doctor quickly stabled, ducking before another hit could be thrown at him. His body was quite agile which contradicted the body he was in. Not by far, but he knew an older human would have lost by now if it wasn't for his superior biology.

The Doctor shoved the Sycorax leader back thumping the hilt of his sword into the leaders stomach. The Sycorax fell to the ground with a 'oomph', and the Doctor pointed the blade close to his neck.

"I've won. Now leave this planet and never come back." The Doctor said. The Sycorax hissed causing the Doctor to move the blade closer. "Swear on the blood of your species to leave." He growled.

"I swear."

"Good." The Doctor huffed, and threw his sword down with a smile. "Thanks for the fight big guy."

The Doctor turned around to the cheering humans. He walked over to them with a grin.

"Bravo, Doctor. Bravo!" Harriet Jones cheered.

"That was amazing, Doctor. Bravo!" beamed Rose.

The Doctor grabs his hoodie back from Rose and chuckled. After zipping up his hoodie he stuffed his hands in the pockets. "I could have done better. I barely made it." He sighed. A sound of scuffling and a roar of anger sounded behind them making him shake his head before ducking down and grabbing a rock then throwing it at button just by the door.

"When will they learn?" He mumbled. He felt a sudden movement by his hand before a hand slipped into his. He down, seeing Rose's hand tucked into his. A soft smile graced his face before looking up at the Sycorax.

"I forbid you to scavenge here. This planet has been and will always be defended by me. That should scare you already, but I'm not the only one to be afraid of. These humans have so much potential and power. And when go you back to the stars and tell others of this planet. Be aware they will and can defend themselves without pain or pity. This planet is defended." He declared.

With that they were beamed back down to Earth while the spaceship zoomed out of atmosphere. The others cheered on as the Doctor stood there with happy hearts.

"My Doctor." Jones grinned. He turned to her, giving her a wide grin of his own.

"Prime Minister." He could tell a hug was in place but he just couldn't. This body didn't seem to like hugs. He looked over at Rose. Well, most. "I'm not- I'm sorry this body doesn't seem to like hugs." 

She just chuckled patting his shoulder. "Are there many more out there?" She pointed up at the sky after a moment.

"The universe is vast, Harriet. There are many, many species up there. Some harm, some to help. You just have to be cautious about things." He said, and she gave a nod staring at the group behind them.

"How are you and Rose doing, by the way." She asked.

He looked at the blonde in question. "I don't know at the moment, just hoping she still wants to travel with me." 

There was a pause before Harriet responded. "She is a mighty strong woman, Doctor. I think she still cares for you and would be thrilled to travel with you still." She looked up at him with a honest look on her face.

"Oh, my God, it's the bleeding Prime Minister!" shrilled Jackie. 

-/////

After the group left, and Jackie's repeated suggestion he stay for dinner, he reluctantly agreed. He still went to the TARDIS to get some things like a new change of clothes. It was when he stepped in he gasped.

"Old girl." He whistled.

The sleek new design was quite different from any before besides maybe his seventh and eighth self's TARDISes. The pillar was a electric blue and gave the room a blue-ish glow to it. Instead of grating in place was a steel metal ground, with stairs going to a second storey with bookshelves lining the walls. Circular silver disks with Gallifreyan writing scrawled over it was above the console. It was quite beautiful, but couldn't help but thinking of what Rose would feel about it. He remembered he had to be back soon so he raced down the corridors to the wardrobe room. 

He looked around for a good hour before he found something. A red silk lined coat. After that he grabbed a white dress shirt, a black vest, some black trousers, and a good pair of dress shoes. He kept the hoodie he got from Jackie's place, but put it up for later. He looked at himself in the mirror finally seeing how much older he had gotten. He tried to swallow the fear he had been feeling before but now it was hard to not notice. He let it go for now with a sigh.

Heading back up to the flat with new attire on. His hand is on the handle of the door when here hears laughter coming through the door, he smiled softly thanking whatever being out there for his Rose.

He walked in which caused Rose to turn around in surprise. She looked him over, a soft blush dusting her cheekbones as she smiled causing the Doctor's hearts to do a front-flip. She surprised him. Was she liking the way he looked? He sat walked to the dinner table and sat down by Rose. She gave him her tongue touched smile while he grinned down at her. Neither saw Jackie take a picture of them or Mickey's rolled eyes. They ate some surprisingly good Christmas dinner and popped open some crackers. Unsurprisingly he got a blue crown and Rose a pink. They talked for a good while before his eyes drifted over to a guitar.

"Who's guitar is that." The Doctor asked.

Mickey looked over. "Oh, A friends, he gave it to me. Don't know why, never played one." Mickey said before asking. "What,are you asking to play it?"

The Doctor didn't say anything only getting up and grabbing it, strumming a few chords before playing 'I'll Be Home for Christmas' by Bing Crosby. His fingers with precision, played the right cords. It seemed he was musically talented in this body.

He strummed the last cord with ease. It was silent for a moment before the three gave applause, Mickey less than the other two, but Mickey couldn't lie, it was really nice piece and he knew how to play.

Rose smiled at the way this Doctor seemed to show such a childish quality about himself as he grins up at her, but still have this sauvé demeanor about him.

Her thoughts were broken when the phone rang and Jackie got up, listening to someone who was talking.

"It's Beth. She says go and look outside." Jackie says.

Rose looks up at her mother. "Why?"

"I don't know, just go outside and look. Come on, shift!"

The ran outside to see snow. Rose beamed. "Oh, it's beautiful." She turned her head up to the sky, feeling the soft, fluffy snow hit her face. The Doctor watched her, another soft smile gracing his lips today. He couldn't help it when it came to Rose. 

He looked away trying to think of something to say before he fell more in l- Right, thoughts, thoughts. 

"No denying the existence of aliens now." He muttered. "Everyone saw what happened, no denying it now."

Rose looked over at him, sudden fear and shyness showing in her eyes. "And what about you? What are you going to do next?" She asked cautiously.

"Same old life, traveling in the TARDIS." He turned his head to she her face.

"On your own?" She said. His hearts sped up again today, but not for any good reasons. Was she telling him that she didn't want to travel with him anymore? Should he be surprised?

"You don't want to come. Is that it." He made his hands into a fist to keep from holding her hand or begging her to come with him.

"No! No." She responded instantly, grabbing his hand. He sighed in relief.

He looked down at her scared and pleading face. His hearts broke. "I changed so I thought you would leave."

"Yeah, I thought, because you changed you might not want me anymore." Rose's voice was small when she said that, and unconsciously he squeezed her hand. 

"Rose, I'd be grateful if you still traveled with me."

Mickey sighed behind them. He knew Rose and him were over, but it didn't mean it didn't hurt. "You're never going to stay, are you?"

"There's just so much out there. So much to see. I've got to." Rose enthused.

With a soft 'yeah', Mickey stared at the two for a moment. They had so much joy and hope on their faces, it hurt and made him happy for Rose. The Doctor seemed to still care for her with that same defensive stance. He just couldn't help but be surprised by the utter love she had on her face for him.

"Well, I reckon you're mad, the pair of you. It's like you go looking for trouble." Jackie scoffed.

The Doctor grinned. "Oh, Jackie, It's not that bad. It's really just the bits in between that have trouble." The Doctor stopped talking for a moment. That wasn't really true, but he wasn't telling Jackie that. "All those planets, and creatures and horizons. It's going to be fantastic." He emphasized the last word as he stared down at Rose, who gave him a watery smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I did just keep Harriet as the Prime Minister. Fight me (Please don't actually). I tried to change a good amount here as you can see. I know it might be a little much with how much I changed, but I couldn't help it. I hope this was a decent chapter.  
> Also I will !hopefully! update every week, I will not promise that it will be a steady update, but I don't want to upset anyone by lying. I don't want to be someone who makes a story and doesn't update for like 1309 years, but I can't promise with my attention span will be kind to me. Other than that, I have little short stories and stuff involving these two, and others that I might post if my atrocious attention span won't let me focus on this.

**Author's Note:**

> It's going to be quite similar to the shows format for a bit. I want to change it up more, but it will take time.


End file.
